


A Ghost of a Chance

by SharkLanceStan



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Autistic Keith (Voltron), Based on Twitter Art, Bisexual Lance (Voltron), Bisexual questioning, Cuban Lance (Voltron), Gay Keith (Voltron), General fluff, Gift so enjoy, Halloween Costume AU, Halloween fic but I upload a day late, Hardly any angst which is rare for one my fics, I can't help myself, I headcanon Lance with ADHD but it isn't mentioned in the fic, I see cute art and want to write fics about it, I'm on my b/s again, Inspired by Konnah, Keith is out but Lance is not, Kissing, Lance is processing his feelings, M/M, OCD Keith, Shiro & Keith are Broganes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-01
Updated: 2018-11-01
Packaged: 2019-08-14 04:10:01
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,029
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16485665
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SharkLanceStan/pseuds/SharkLanceStan
Summary: Keith & Lance are room-mates in college, they attend a Halloween party hosted at one of the dorms but Lance's costume seems surprisingly concealing for the showy Cuban. Keith spends the evening trying to get a glimpse under Lance's sheet and work a way into his heart.// INSPIRED BY TWITTER ARTIST KONNAH //





	A Ghost of a Chance

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Konnah College Klance Twitter AU](https://archiveofourown.org/external_works/429554) by Konnah. 



> Mini Halloween drabble inspired by @KonnahDOT on Twitter and their adorable Klance College boys AU in particular the recent Halloween comics. I was inspired and kinda took the concept and ran with it. I hope that's okay?
> 
> Very fluffy and cute. I'm ace tho so excuse my inexperience with writing smutty stuff.

"Hey Keith, have you found a costume yet?"  
  
Lance's light voice had an almost musical quality as it effervesced over his lips, matching the bubbling excitement in his heart and mind. He had the BEST idea for Halloween this year and he was eager to get this room-mate and customary partner in shenanigans involved in the impending 'horseplay'...  
  
"Nah, not yet" the pony-tailed boy at the sink replied, methodically scrubbing the dishes, mostly as a way to occupy his hands without being destructive, something that was helpful in dealing with his Autism as well as keeping his OCD under control.  
  
Lance's bubbling intensified.  
  
"...but I'm not letting you choose..." Keith continued, not turning around from the task to look at his room-mate. He didn't have to. He could already read him by now like a introductory textbook for freshmen.  
  
"You'd probably want us to dress up like a horse together or some shit like that..." the words having the force of an arrow pinpointing Lance's bubble of enthusiasm and bursting it neatly with a POP he was 90% sure was audible.  
  
The Cuban boy sighed dramatically to himself, dumping the two part horse costume he had indeed had in his arms discreetly behind the sofa and giving it a somewhat sulky kick as he denied the truth with an airy "No! I was thinking you'd make a great vampire!" whilst mentally acknowledging he would have to go back to the drawing board with regard to his own costume.  
  
Keith and Lance had been friends for a long time. Originally they'd started out as rivals, at least... in Lance's mind. The somewhat stoic and emo-looking Psych Major was known for having the best GPA and overall skill of anyone in this years alumni, in fact the only thing that prevented him being the golden boy of all lecturers and students alike was that what he made up for with intelligence and skill he severely lacked in tact, people-skills and a general way with words.  
  
Lance who was studying Business & Hospitality degrees, with the idea of opening his own bar or restaurant beloved by the celebrities and hopefully staffed by his childhood best friend and culinary prodigy Hunk, had clashed hard with his sullen room-mate since day 1.  
  
Their personalities couldn't have been more opposite. Lance was loud and somewhat needy and had to have the attention and approval of all or he would become neurotic and paranoid. He had a basic inability to shut up for even 5 minutes. Keith on the other hand had to be prodded for 10 minutes persistently to get him to engage in a conversation at all. And he had a short temper and a somewhat unrestrained mouth that was known to be sharp and insensitive on occasion.  
  
It had been Annoyance at First Sight.  
  
But gradually spending time together had worn down the sharp edges of Keith and taught Lance some restraint and as they became gradually more familiar with each other's whims they'd settled into a comfortable routine, the sharp insults gradually softening into gentle jokes and teasing.  
  
The turning point had been when Lance's abuelita had passed on. He'd heard the news from his family during a weekly Skype call and with the pressure of certain exams on his back he'd been unable to return home to attend her funeral. He'd tried to keep it together for his family and comfort his mother, speaking Spanish words of support and kindness. But after the call had ended he'd fallen apart with guilt. His family NEEDED him there and he was too busy off somewhere else selfishly chasing dreams he wasn't even that convinced he'd succeed at, he was always getting on the wrong side of Professor Iverson after all and told he lacked dedication or smarts to ever be a real contender for opening and running a business, that he'd be lucky to successfully run a vendor stall at the local carnival or a tacky food van.  
  
Keith had returned from a lecture to find his room-mate curled up under a blanket, knees to his chest, the somewhat lanky pajama-clad limbs soaked in tears as the tan skinned boy rocked himself comfortingly back and forth, babbling alternate Spanish and English phrases, criticizing his worth and panicking about things out of his control.  
  
Unbeknownst to Lance the somewhat surly brunette had, had plenty of his own panic attacks based on his condition and things out of his control regarding his elder adopted brother who had gone MIA during a trip in South America. He'd thankfully been found, but during those months of not knowing Keith had irrationally blamed himself just as Lance was doing now.  
  
He had sat opposite the Cuban with a sigh and asked him about what had happened, and instead of the usual snap of 'None of your business' which might have come from the lips of the freckled boy earlier on in their relationship, Lance had spilled everything. They'd talked until the sun came up about everything, from family to Lance's dreams and Keith's condition etc. It had been their first real bonding moment and cemented their status as no longer enemies or rivals but friends who shared certain outlooks, and granted had their differences but were both good people in their own ways.  
  
Since then things had grown more comfortable, and the boys were a lot more open and warm around each other. It didn't mean there wasn't still arguments and misunderstandings on occasions, Keith was still Keith and Lance was still Lance after all. But now instead of brooding on it, the apologies came faster and the desire to be in each other's good favours was much stronger. Keith was surprisingly good company once you got past his defensiveness and stoicism!  
  


* * *

  
  
By the time Halloween Night rolled around and the boys were preparing for attending one of the many frat Halloween parties that would be hosted tonight. This one would be at Hunk's dorm and that meant the snacks would be the BEST, which had been what had finally coaxed the reclusive and typically non-party-animal Keith to dress up and go out. A rummage in one of the local costume stores had brought him a cheap vampire costume that he'd somehow managed to pull off so it looked better on his typically pallid already quite vampiric countenance than it had looked on the display image on the packet. He felt stupid though and awkward and convinced himself he was only doing this because Lance would never get off his back otherwise.  
  
The Cuban HAD been in his bedroom for a long time getting ready though and eventually Keith's impatience won out, as he marched to the door decorated somewhat childishly in dolphin stickers, a poster of Varadero Beach in Cuba and some polaroids of the room's owner and his friends engaged in various hilarious shenanigans. His knuckles rapped on the door and he called through the wood "Lance are you ready yet? We need to be there in 10 minutes and we've still got to walk across campus!"  
  
He expected the response to be something along the lines of being 'fashionably late', but instead the door opened almost immediately and....  
  
"Lance...." Keith began drawing out the sibilance of his name in an almost hiss which caused the other boy to flinch expectantly "Are you seriously telling me you spent months coming up with a costume idea..." the voice continued dangerously, as the fingertip of the boy poked the front of the Cuban directly in the chest  ".... only to go for a sheet over your head?!" the note of Keith's voice rose at the end with incredulity  
  
Lance who was indeed clad head to toe in a simple bed-sheet with holes cut for his eyes, averted his gaze downwards somewhat awkwardly, arms involuntarily hugging himself as he remarked softly "Yeah... I uhh... I had a bad hair day". Keith face-palmed and rolled his eyes simultaneously remarking once more in strained tones "Are you serious?". He then shook his head and reached to grab the brown wrist emerging from the white sheet "Nevermind, we haven't time. Let's just go..."  
  
Lance allowed himself to be towed his matching white Vans sneakers squeaking slightly as they scuffed along the corridor trying to keep up with Keith's strident pace. Lance and Keith were close to the same height. Lance had had the edge for a while at the beginning of the semester with his long supermodel-esque limbs but then Keith had had that growth spurt in summer and now he might possibly have a couple of inches over the freckled Cuban. His hand was warm on Lance's wrist and for some inexplicable reason the firm pressure on his pulse point and skin to skin contact was comforting to the nervous teenager, allowing himself to relax and look forward to the party.  
  
They arrived at Hunk's dorm as part of the steady trickle of guests entering, apparently word had spread about Hunk's culinary abilities and how good the snacks would be at this party and already the area was packed with students, drinking red cups of beer and enjoying the spread the Samoan had indulged himself in. Their host dressed as Frankenstein's monster grinned at them from under his carefully painted face, like Keith surprised to see Lance had opted for such a basic and non-showy costume on one of the few days a year he had a legitimate excuse to dress up and have all eyes on him, but ultimately not questioning it, as he had a deeper understanding of the way Lance's mind worked.  
  
"Welcome guys, make yourselves at home. Drinks and food are in the kitchen. Need me to take your cape, Keith?" the brown eyes twinkled humorously and the boy dressed as a vampire managed to overcome his general social awkwardness to reply "Nah it's part of the costume. If you could take Lance's sheet you'd be doing me a favour though..." he teased in return, his fanged grin slightly predatory as he glanced back tauntingly at the ghost boy.  
  
Lance squawked and clutched the sheet closer to himself defensively "Don't you DARE!" he remarked, his features and mouth invisible but Keith just KNEW he was pouting under there. Lance had a good sense of humour and got jokes pretty well, but he was always sensitive when the jokes were at his own expense. "I'm kidding, I'm kidding" Keith remarked waving his hand dismissively of the Cuban's panic as if that fact should be obvious. Lance's eye roll in response was again invisible but easy to predict based on how he was in personality.  
  


* * *

  
  
As the night progressed the two teenagers gradually seemed to relax and integrate better with their fellow guests. Hunk was an amazing host which helped everyone feel at ease. He was very attentive without being too invasive, and made sure everyone was having a good time and there were no wallflowers being ignored on the sidelines. Lance was quite jealous of his friend's natural hospitality skills, he would have been a hit with Iverson in the Business class, but Hunk preferred to take a step back from leadership roles like that and only wanted to engage on a service level so it was up to Lance to fill that gap and provide the necessary venue for Hunk to serve his 5 star gourmet meals in.  
  
Except Lance often doubted even without Iverson's jabs that he could really do it. Did he really have what it took to be a leader? To be at the forefront and responsible for everything? When he couldn't even handle a little criticism from a teacher? When he was so paranoid about people's opinions of himself that he was here hiding under a sheet on Halloween because he was petrified of being mocked?  
  
Sighing Lance tried to push those niggling doubts back down inside. He was here to cut loose and party and have a good time. He could worry about his major tomorrow when he was nursing a hangover and wishing he'd never been born. He summoned his standard party guy 'Lancey Lance' persona and went to go mingle, chatting with people and dancing and gradually started to unwind from his tightly coiled self.  
  
Until a bunch of drunk girls from the Beauty course insisted on playing a game of Spin the Bottle. Honestly this was so childish! Were they 12 year olds at a sleepover? But Lance didn't want to be the party pooper and call attention to himself negatively for being a killjoy and no fun. He'd be damned if he was going to suffer this alone though. He grabbed Keith's hand as the other was having a conversation with Pidge a mutual friend of the group who majored in Computer Sciences, and towed him towards the group "Come on..."  
  
Keith yelped a little at being unexpectedly grabbed by Lance and pulled, but quickly recovered and followed him until he saw the game's setup and frowned at Lance "Really?" he asked him, rolling his eyes that in this lighting seemed to have almost purple hues and frowning, dark brows furrowing at the other boy as if he'd just asked him to do something utterly ridiculous. Well in essence that was exactly what Lance had done.  
  
"Just sit..." Lance hissed back at him, and though his face was mostly invisible the glimpse of his eyes visible through the sheet were pleading. Keith grunted but sat reluctantly. A giggling girl spun the bottle and the game began. A few turns passed with increasingly absurd challenges until the bottle landed on Keith and the challenge was issued "Kiss the person sitting next to you.. on the MOUTH"  
  
Keith's eyes slid to Lance automatically, almost feeling the ghost boy stiffen involuntarily as he did so. Keith's eyes fixed on the blue ones, one brow quirking questioningly as if asking if Lance was going to allow him to do it. The Cuban's hands grabbed the edge of his sheet anxiously, clenching it tightly, worrying at the edges in a fidgetty panicky way, clearly uncomfortable with the request.  
  
Lance's heart was thumping in his chest and he felt his skin growing clammier by the second in anticipation of the kiss, eyes scrunching shut but then... the kiss never happened. He opened his eyes and saw Keith had leaned in the opposite direction and kissed another boy sitting on the other side, the other male looking surprised but also a little flirtatiously at Keith as if he wasn't totally against the concept, dare or no dare.  
  
Lance should have been relieved that he was spared the embarrassment of being kissed by his room-mate and exposed to the group (in more ways than one). But instead he felt a weird pang of jealousy and disappointment, blue eyes narrowing a little at the guy who had stolen Keith's lips from him, inwardly thinking _'Puta'_ to himself and then wondering where in the hell that thought had come from. Keith was just his room-mate.  
  
His room-mate who had come out as openly gay pretty much directly after enrolling and hadn't seemed to care if doing so might be considered social suicide by the more picky hetero-dominated cliques. Lance was still struggling to come to terms with his own bisexuality and had pretty much kept most of his boy-crushes under wraps. Because just like everything else, Lance was a chicken shit who couldn't take the incentive if his life depended on it.  
  
He rose from his seat remarking "Sorry guys I'm kinda thirsty, I'll take my leave at this point. Have fun!" trying to maintain a bright tone as he stepped from the circle and made a beeline for the kitchen, ignoring the fact that Keith leapt up behind him and started to trail after him. He made a beeline for the tub of cheap beer bottles and snagged one removing the cap and not even bothering to pour it into a cup, just bringing the cold neck to his lips and.... ufff. The sheet was in the way. Stupid. He rolled the sheet up slightly so it rested on his shoulders still concealing the upper half of his face and flumped onto a kitchen stool drinking grumpily.  
  
Keith entered the kitchen awkwardly and too noisily as if he'd hurried after Lance so fast he'd half tripped on the threshold "Lance... are you okay?" he asked. Lance turned on the stool so his back was to Keith, shoulders visibly tensed growling "Fine. Don't worry about me. Wouldn't want to interrupt your conquests of male students at this party". He had no idea why he had that sullen tone or why Keith kissing guys was any concern of his.  
  
Keith sighed "I thought it would be easier on you... you didn't want people to see under the sheet... you seemed really upset.... I thought I was making the right decision by taking the pressure off you and kissing someone else..." he explained, for his part also wondering why he felt the need to explain himself to Lance or why it was any of his business who Keith kissed.  
  
Except that Keith as a Psych Major knew how the mind and heart worked a lot better than Lance did. And he also knew how his sexuality worked. And he knew most clearly of all that he'd been physically attracted to Lance for some time. Pretty much since he'd first lain eyes on him, though his annoying character had put a large dampener on that at first.  
  
There was no denying the leggy Cuban boy was gorgeous though. His flawless and well-mantained skin the colour of café au lait, generously sprinkled with 'cinnamon' in the form of freckles and the largest most spellbinding crystal blue eyes any male had ever possessed, framed with thick dark lashes and a slightly feline mischievous quality to them. His sun-streaked caramel coloured hair with the cute flicks that ran along the curves of his cheekbones emphasizing his perfect bone structure. Granted his ears were a little on the big side and for some reason his hairdresser apparently hated him, but those little inconsistencies only seemed to make Lance more charming as if the imperfections only enhanced the perfect parts further.  
  
He was tall too and had toned legs that looked as if they should belong to a dancer, elegant and so so long, running from his narrow hips and pert derriere to the tips of his toes. That streamlined bottom half was combined with surprisingly broad shoulders and a well-formed leanly-muscular torso that clearly proclaimed Lance's masculinity in the event his beautiful face and graceful legs suggested otherwise. Long story short Lance was designed like a Disney Prince. Except that his loud dramatic and somewhat prima-donna tendencies tended to slide him a little closer to the Princesses in temperament and ideals.  
  
And yet even those mannerisms were becoming increasingly cute in Keith's eyes. As where his whims and silly cute sense of humour. Just the other day they had been on their way to lectures from their dorm and Lance had spotted some ants, stopping to crouch and remark cheerfully to the little insects with bright humour about their chosen meal. He had been so thoroughly adorable in the process that Keith had thought his heart was going to stop in his chest from the experience, barely managing to respond with a cheesy pun that came straight from his brother Shiro's typical repertoire, and had made him inwardly cringe at the lameness. Lance had loved it though and laughed with such vivacity that Keith had had a red face throughout his lecture just thinking about it.  
  
Shit. He might actually really like his room-mate THAT way.  
  
But the question was, were Lance's feelings mutual? He honestly had no clue. Lance was weirdly hard to read for someone who wore his heart on his sleeve and made his emotions clear for everyone to see.  
  
He largely seemed to flirt with women when he was doing his typical 'charming playboy routine' which more often than not backfired and had the girls in question rolling their eyes at his attempts. But then he acted like this when Keith kissed another guy.... and that wasn't the first clue either. There were other subtle signs that Lance might not be as 100% heterosexual as he liked to proclaim to the campus.  
  
He was particularly hands on with Hunk after all, and sure a lot of that could fall under the 'bro' type relationship they had, but some of it was something that a heterosexual guy would think twice about. Did straight guys tackle their friends from behind and half piggyback ride them arms wrapped around their shoulders and torso, clinging like an affectionate feline and enthusiastically telling them how much they loved them without adding 'no homo' for security?  
  
He was fairly sure Hunk and Lance's type of bond wasn't like that, but still... it was a little unusual. And then there was how open Lance was about nudity in their dorm. Several times he'd caught the leggy Cuban clad only in a small towel, fresh from the shower, loading laundry into the drier or perched on a stool in their small kitchenette drinking coffee in only boxershorts and a silk dressing gown. And the poses he tended to put his legs into when he was lying on his bed bored and conversing with Keith about random topics. Some of them were borderline pornographic.  
  
Weirdly enough though the closer they'd gotten, the more prudish Lance had seemed to be becoming, as if he seemed to care more now about what Keith thought about him, whereas in the past he'd behaved without such cares, or with the deliberate intent to annoy and provoke Keith.  
  
If Lance was the sort of person wherein intimate behaviour was a sign of familial acceptance, then what did the opposite convey? Something more than familial? It was hard enough for Keith sometimes to understand and pick up social cues, even with his studies into Psychology. Lance made it damn near impossible. And yet, he couldn't seem to break away from the curiosity and desire to know the truth about the leggy brunette.  
  
He snapped himself out of his thoughts and reached for a beer of his own, settling nearby to Lance's stiff back, cracking open the bottle with the strength of his hand alone not needing to use any tool to do so, his eyes watching the sheet clad back of his room-mate  "If I upset you, I'm sorry. You were the one who asked me to play though. You should know by now I'm not good at that sort of thing" he commented. "Maybe I should have just refused and done the forfeit..."  
  
Lance turned then, one hand keeping his sheet from sliding off with the motion, blue eyes visible through the holes of the sheet looking at Keith gaugingly, trying to read his expression as if searching for insincerity. Then replying quietly "It's fine. You were just following the challenge. And you're right, it would have been awkward for me to be publicly kissed like that"  
  
"Because I'm a guy?" Keith put the question out there, his itching desire to know the truth overcoming the common sense that told him not to jeopardize the tentative olive branch being extended to him.  
  
He swore the bottom half of Lance's tanned face grew redder.  
  
"N-No... that's not... your gender isn't the issue..." Lance flustered, averting his gaze suddenly coyly  
  
Keith tilted his head "So you wouldn't have had an issue kissing me if it wasn't public?" he asked deciding to hell with it, he might as well take the plunge and know once and for all.  
  
Lance licked his lips and murmured awkwardly "Yes? Maybe? I don't know!" he seemed frustrated by his inability to give Keith a direct answer  
  
"Do you like me Lance? Like that?"  
  
Lance's face was definitely red now and his lips were trembling in a way that was so cute, Keith wanted to kiss them. But he restrained himself and waited, regretting that he was putting his room-mate on the spot like this and probably making him super uncomfortable, but knowing enough about himself as a person to know that it was this way or nothing. He couldn't do waiting and handling matters of intimacy with subtlety. Subtlety and Keith were not two things that were compatible.  
  
Lance remarked very softly "Right now I'd quite like to punch you for making me feel this awkward and embarrassed, but... yeah, I guess, maybe I might be developing those sorts of feelings for you? It's difficult... I've not really come to terms with everything yet, with who I am and who I like... it's all a confusing jumble but... spending time with you usually makes me happy..."  
  
"Platonicly or?" Keith probed, needing to know that distinction at least even if Lance wasn't ready to fully commit to anything further  
  
"There's levels" Lance replied after a moment. "Platonic is definitely one of them. You're my friend. I'm happy we got to be closer and better room-mates. But... I guess there's more. You and I have a sort of understanding that is a bit different from friends? It's really hard to explain it. I like having you there. I feel secure knowing I can rely on you, and I want to be someone you can rely on too..."  
  
The sheet at this point had migrated all the way up from the Cuban's face only covering his hair now like a nun's wimple the white fabric contrasting brown skin and piercing blue eyes. He was so beautiful! And the desire to kiss him was only intensifying in Keith's gut like a burning ball that sent waves of heat through him.  
  
"There's a certain physical appeal too..." Lance uttered much more softly after a long pause "I mean I could definitely leave the mullet, but y-you're... you're quite good looking...". Yup he was definitely blushing, it was clear to see now, the deepening of colour across his freckled cheeks like a berry stain probably spreading to his large ears if they were visible.  
  
Fuck. Cuteness overload. Keith found his own face suddenly very warm, and he wasn't really the blushing type at all normally.  
  
"W-We're alone now... maybe we could test out the theory? That you're okay with kissing me?" he found his voice uttering without his consent, wondering where rational level-headed Keith had gone and why babbling idiot Keith had sprung up in his place.  
  
Lance laughed a little breathlessly "You're really hung up on that part huh? Am I really that kissable?" his voice seemed to question if that was even possible.  
  
Keith nodded vigorously setting down his beer and approaching the reticent ghost boy "Completely. I've been wanting to kiss you for a while now..."  
  
"Oh..." Lance replied, becoming even more coy at the confirmation of Keith's attraction to him. As if somehow being found attractive by his room-mate was something he'd not expected. The Cuban really did sell himself and his charms short way too frequently "Well okay then... I guess it is Halloween after all. I should give you a treat, or you might trick me" he giggled softly "But not here, if someone walks in for a drink and sees us, I'll die. I'm not ready to be... OUT like that yet"  
  
Keith nodded. He understood. It might have seemed that he'd come out carelessly but it had taken a LONG time for him to get to the point that he felt secure enough in himself to acknowledge his gayness and make it public. Keith had known a lot longer than Lance what sort of person he was. And Keith had had the support of a brother who was already out to fall back on. Lance's family were a little more 'traditional'. It was small wonder the poor guy was a little confused about the whole thing.  
  
He reached to take Lance's hand pulling the sheet back down to give him the comfort of anonymity as he guided him from the kitchen and went to find Hunk telling him they were going to call it a night because Lance wasn't feeling well. He hated to lie to the Samoan, especially when their host looked so anxious by the news and asked if it had been anything he ate. Reassuring him that it was nothing to do with Hunk's very excellent food or hosting skills at that the party really had been very enjoyable, he eventually got the larger male to relax promising him he would take care of Lance and let him know as soon as he was 'feeling better'.  
  
With that they slipped away from the noise and clamour of the party and into the cool night air.  
  
Lance was giggling again "Oh no... I've been stolen away by a vampire, whatever will I do..." he remarked playfully, his hand linked with Keith's as it had been on their way to the party, but this time with more gentleness and a willingness to stay connected from both parties. Keith schooled his fanged mouth into a scary grimace mimicking a really horrible attempt at a Transylvanian accent "I vant to suck your.... lips" as he grabbed the ghost's shoulders and tugged him into the shadows of their dormitory entrance.  
  
The campus was surprisingly quiet for Halloween night because most of the students were still at parties. There were a couple of lurkers, but the vast majority of the grounds were empty and quiet. Once they were inside their dormitory and had found their way, giggling back to their room, Keith opened the door and they stumbled inside.  
  
Barely two steps inside their room and Keith, was pulling up Lance's sheet trying to get at those cute lips, the Cuban tired of the sheet pulled it off entirely and the dim light from the desk lamp Keith had left on, illuminated his face. A nest of thick brown curls sprung out from under the concealing fabric, the humidity in the air of late resulting in Lance being unable to tame them with product as he normally did. The riot of spirals, twisting around the tan face like a halo of softness. Keith was honestly impressed that Lance managed to make hair that curly look straight on a daily basis. He HAD to use irons on it.  
  
Lance averted his blue eyes awkwardly, clearly embarrassed murmuring "I told you it was bad..." self-consciously. Keith blinked at him "Are you kidding me? It's adorable...". Lance's eyes fixed brightly on him, staring as if trying to work out if he was lying. When he was sure that Keith was being 100% earnest, he flushed even deeper and exhaled deeply questioning nervously "Y-You like it? Really?"  
  
"Really. Curls look great on you Lance... Everything looks great on you. You look great in general" Keith assured him, his expression level and completely serious. Lance's slender hand grasped his chin covering his mouth for some minutes before replying faintly "Th-thankyou... that means a lot... Mama always said my curls were beautiful, but when I came here and everyone had straight hair I just... I got nervous about standing out and not fitting in..."  
  
"Screw fitting in. You should stand out more. You and I weren't really made to fit in. I think that's why we understand each other so well. Because we recognize that uniqueness in each other"  , "Ha sure. Says the guy with the 80s mullet and fingerless gloves...". Keith shrugged his shoulders "Hey that's just my signature look. It's what works for me. Don't pretend you don't secretly like the mullet..."  
  
Lance snorted and made a face "I'll probably be banished forever from all fashionable and stylish organizations. But yeah okay... the mullet is sorta cute. And it works for you" , "And your curls work for you" Keith responded, reaching up to coil a finger through one brown spiral. Lance blushed "Anyway you Retro Reject Vampire, I thought you were going to kiss me? Or you'll talk all night and bore me to sleep?"  
  
Keith grinned "I'm trying to, a certain Ghost is making it difficult though" , "Then you better exorcise me..." , "Gladly..."  
  
Their lips met and locked, tentative at first but then with more passion as repressed feelings bubbled to the surface and swept them both away on a tidal wave of emotions and feelings. It was nearly 15 minutes later when they both emerged for air, panting a little " _Por Dios... ¡No bromeaste sobre la succión!_ " Lance gasped in Spanish rubbing the tingling sensation of pins & needles away from his lips adding in English "I thought I would suffocate and die!"  
  
Keith tilted his head equally breathless but wearing an impish expression, his confidence bolstered by the evident success of the kiss "You're a ghost. You're already dead"  , "I don't wanna be LITERALLY dead _idiota!_ ". Keith pouted "You hated it that much?" he asked a note of uncharacteristic vulnerability entering his tone. As if it mattered to him what Lance felt and whether he enjoyed it. The ex-ghost sighed "Of course I didn't! But maybe don't be so rough for the next one..."  
  
Keith blinked "There's going to be a next one?" he remarked. Lance flushed again "If you don't kill me first... yeah... I guess I could live with kissing you... it uhhh... it was sorta nice..." , "Only sorta? I'll have to up my game..." , "Omg shut up"  
  
Lance threw a pillow at the cackling vampire across from him, it missed. A full-on pillow fight ensued ending up with both boys collapsing on Keith's bed, clothes rumpled and hair awry. Lance felt a bubbling warmth in his chest, a happiness that he'd not felt since he'd left Cuba and his family far behind. Blue eyes drifted to look at the boy opposite him, flushed and in disarray his formerly neat combed back hair now fluffed around his face wildly, complementing the birds nest Lance was sure was crowning his own scalp. He reached tentatively for the ebony locks, they were surprisingly soft like cats fur almost, he'd expected them to be greasy and gross, but whilst Keith didn't bother with pampering and products, he was evidently possessing of some very nice naturally healthy hair. Even if it was styled in the most tragic way possible.  
  
Keith's pale but warm hands closed around Lance's brown fingers, the skin calloused but not unpleasant, that feeling of strength and security comforting to the anxious fluttering heart of the Cuban boy  
  
"Keith?" , "Yeah?" , "I think... I think I could fall for you... I think I might already be... but will you stay with me? Whilst I work everything out?"  
  
"Like you even have to ask me..." , "Will you though? I need to hear you say it..."  
  
"Okay... I Keith Kogane will wait and stay by the side of one Lance McClain whilst he makes up his mind about whether he finds me hot or not" , "Keeeiiiiiiiiiithhhhh...."  , "Fine fine... I'll wait and I'll support you whatever you decide... you can relax and take your time about it. That's an honest promise, and our family... we don't make promises we don't intend to keep"  
  
Lance exhaled with a contented sigh, curling his fingers into the warm hand connected to his, allowing all the stress and tension in his body to melt away as he curled up on Keith's bed next to it's owner. Keith's free hand moved to gently stroke through his curls, brushing the ones that framed his cheekbones and causing a shiver of pleasure from the freckled boy. Those were definitely a sensitive spot for the Cuban. Keith made a mental note of it.  
  
Keith waited until Lance fell asleep, keeping one hand connected before reaching for the phone on his bedside and dialling  "Hey... Shiro... I've got an interesting story to tell you..." , "Oh?" , "It's about a Ghost and a Vampire falling in love..." , "Sounds spooky... tell me about them..." and the boy in the vampire costume began to speak, telling everything about his feelings for the boy in the ghost bed-sheet who had spirited away his heart.

**Author's Note:**

> Spanish translations...
> 
> 'Puta' obviously means 'Slut'. It's a very bad word and Lance shouldn't be using it.
> 
> 'Por Dios... ¡No bromeaste sobre la succión!' hopefully translates as 'My God... You weren't kidding about the sucking!' which out of context sounds really bad but yeah...
> 
> I don't natively speak Spanish I only know what I learn from speaking to Mexican and Colombian friends and using Google Translate so uhh sorry for any inaccuracies!


End file.
